Do drums take it on the chin with radio?

  • Thread starter Thread starter NYMorningstar
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NYMorningstar

Recording Modus Operandi
For years, all I listened to in the car was FM radio. I haven't had the cd player in the Mustang working since it quit in 1999. I just ordered a used stock one for it and installed it last week.

The first thing I noticed different was the drums. They actually are clear, crisp and positioned playing a cd.

When I first noticed it, I compared the cd player sound with the radio. I heard clear drums with a cd and buried drums on the radio regardless of the songs playing or the fm station. The difference was much more obvious with the drums than any other instrument. I'm not a drummer but it don't seem fair!

Anyone else notice this?

Why is the sound degraded more with the drums on the radio?
 
It's caused by the radio station "processing" an already "over processed" recording, in an attempt to be louder than everybody else.
 
On a CD, drums often dictate the amount of dynamics, so they seem more upfront and clear. The radio takes an already squashed mix and continues to squash it even further for bandwidth etc... The end result is that the things on the original that may have been a little lower in volume, are now noticably louder. many people actually do different mixes for radio and now even for mp3. Often times it is a different arrangement, but often times it is also mixed differently to help nullify the balancing effect of the typical radio squash etc...
 
Thanks Harvey. It sure does suck that they're giving up all that quality just to push the speakers a little harder.


xstatic said:
On a CD, drums often dictate the amount of dynamics, so they seem more upfront and clear. ...
Click to expand...
Thanks xstatic. Yesterday I was listening to a live Allman Brother's cd, Eat a Peach, with 2 drummers and it was phenominal. I've been listening to that radio way too long :)

I have to keep this in mind next time I go to reach for a compressor :D and make sure I keep that freakin radio off!
 
What is the bitrate of a song on FM? And they always sound way more compressed. I seldom hear a radion, unless it's in another persons vehicle. Cd's in my wifes vehicle, so the quality is better .
 
Dogman said:
What is the bitrate of a song on FM? And they always sound way more compressed. I seldom hear a radion, unless it's in another persons vehicle. Cd's in my wifes vehicle, so the quality is better .
Click to expand...
It's not a matter of bitrate. Even when they were just playing normal CDs it was like this. After you send the mix through a compressor, clipper, phase rotater, limiter, etc.... it just ends up sounding like that. Most of it is in an effort to be the loudest station on the dial.
 
radio destroys everything.

of course, it was the beginning of modern times too.

first major consumer-based invention i would say- first LUXURY item if you will.

but yes it destroys everything played on it.
 
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